George Galloway ‘beaten over Israel comments’

‘A British MP known for his pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel speeches has been injured in an attack in London by a man shouting about the Holocaust, his spokesman has said.

George Galloway was reported to have suffered bruising and a suspected broken jaw and rib in the attack on Friday in the capital’s Notting Hill area while he was posing for pictures.

“George was posing for pictures with people and this guy just attacked him, leapt on him and started punching him,” his spokesman said.

“It appears to be connected with his comments about Israel because the guy was shouting about the Holocaust.”

A Metropolitan police spokesman said a suspect was found a short time later and arrested.

“He was arrested on suspicion of ABH (actual bodily harm) and taken to the south London police station where he remains.”

Galloway had described himself as being in “pretty bad shape” following the assault Friday, the spokesman said.

Reports of broken bones have not been verified by Al Jazeera but police said the MP was badly injured.

A post by the Respect party’s Twitter account thanked wellwishers and included a picture of Galloway’s bruised face.

Galloway, the leader of the Respect party and MP for Bradford West, was interviewed by British police earlier this month following a speech on August 2 in Leeds in which he claimed Bradford as an Israeli-free area due to the attacks on Gaza.

“We don’t want any Israeli goods; we don’t want any Israeli services; we don’t want any Israeli academics coming to the university or the college; we don’t even want any Israeli tourists to come to Bradford, even if any of them had thought of doing so,” he said.’